CLINTON — When Harold Naughton Jr. began his political career, his father had one piece of advice for him: Never forget the little guy.

"I hope I have been true to that," Naughton said. "My mom and dad were simple people. They laid a good foundation for my sisters and I. I hope they are proud of what I've done."

Naughton is looking to expand his area of concern, announcing in a video Thursday morning that he would be running for attorney general.

In an interview with The Item Wednesday, Naughton said it was time.

"It's been 10 terms," he said. "I never thought when I was elected in 1994, after that election, with the primary against Ed Sheridan, Mary Richards and Kevin Tivnan, and the general election against Mike Ward, I never thought I would still be here."

Holding onto his seat in the House was never easy.

"Unlike others of my colleagues, who ran time and again unopposed, for 10 times, I had eight opponents, most substantive candidates," he said.

Naughton said his life has been a series of challenges, all of which have led him to run for attorney general.

He began his career as a fraud investigator, then went to law school to enhance his abilities.

After law school, he worked in the district attorney's office, a job as a prosecutor that he said he loved. But, when Bill Constantino retired from the House, he decided to make the move.

After Sept. 11, 2001, Naughton said things changed drastically for him. He decided to join the Army and worked as a JAG officer, with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"When I got back from Afghanistan, (the shooting in a school in) Newtown happened and I worked to try to pass laws for gun and school safety," he said.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, he also lost both of his parents, who were major influences on him.

It was after several sleepless nights that he decided to give up his House seat at the end of his term, and run for attorney general. The seat is available with Martha Coakley choosing to run for governor instead of re-election. One other candidate has already declared for the seat, Maura Healey, also a Democrat.

"It has been an incredible experience," Naughton said of his time in the House. "I have enjoyed my time representing Clinton, Lancaster, Sterling, Boylston, Northboro, and previous to that West Boylston and Princeton, and all the towns in my district.

"In a public speech recently, I talked about the government shutdown. As bad as things have been over here, I am amazed by the resilience of this country. In other countries, you would have tanks in the street," he said.

Looking back on his time in the Legislature, he said there are several highlights.

"While you are experiencing it, I don't think you realize the substantive legislation that you have worked on. My first battle, in 1995, was with the MWRA's lawsuit against the town of Clinton for its historic rights to the water in the reservoir. On the flip slide, I think the people in this area feel protecting the water is a substantive trust they have," Naughton said.

His hometown of Clinton holds a special place in his heart.

"The town has seen its ups and downs," Naughton said. "We have worked really hard to maintain manufacturing, with legislation for tax breaks and manufacturing incentives. Years ago, I remember sitting in Dave Dunn's office and we ticked off the list of legitimate manufacturers who have closed in Clinton. We estimated it was 10,000 full-time jobs. The town has struggled in so many ways to maintain its identity. Clinton has done a good job, with the museum and restaurants while maintaining its manufacturing."

Getting the McNamara Bill passed was also "incredibly important," Naughton said. The bill followed the on-duty death of Lancaster call firefighter Martin McNamara V. At that time, the pension system did not allow the town to pay benefits to his widow and children. "The fact we were able to plug a hole in the pension benefits for spouses of deceased call firefighters was important."

Naughton said he is proud to have maintained fairly consistent levels of local aid, particularly to Clinton, which is the town in his district most dependant on state aid to "maintain services and keep property taxes down, especially for the senior citizens. When you look back and consider what we have done, we have a lot to be proud of."

While Naughton said it is difficult to leave the Legislature, he said getting back to the legal side of things feels right for him and his constituents.

"I never felt more fulfilled than when I was chairman of the public safety committee. Even in difficult times, it was enjoyable in many ways," he said. "Friends ask why I am leaving when I am enjoying it. I want to take that momentum and motion and take it to another level."

Naughton acknowledged looking at another office — he announced this summer that he was considering a run for lieutenant governor, but in the last few weeks, he decided attorney general was the right fit for him.

"I have these skill sets I have built for 30 years and the next step is to help the attorney general's office," he said. "I had some sleepless nights, wondering if I made the right decision. It is not just me. I have a great staff. This affects my family. My family and I are looking at this almost like another deployment, I will be traveling so much. There is a sacrifice families go through, but we thought it was an important thing to do for the Commonwealth and my family. We felt it was a good fit."

Naughton said one of the things he will miss most about being a state representative is attending local events in his official capacity

"I thrive on going to events in our local communities and, while I can still attend, I will be a little removed. I won't see the constituents in the district as much. I will still be able to go to local events, but I will be spread across the state," he said.

On Thursday, he started his day in Springfield, meeting with potential voters. But, he planned to end his day as he began it, in Clinton. Thursday night was the annual Halloween Walk and his campaign planned for him to be there.

"It has been an honor and privilege to represent the people of this district and to get to know the people, their problems, their joys and their accomplishments. Many of people who worked on my first campaign are no longer with us. I tried to keep true to their support and confidence. I have made many deep friendships throughout the towns," he said, choking up a bit with emotion. Then he added, "I am looking to change the address of my office, not to change the address of where I live."

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